President Bush sent the U.S.-Colombia Free Trade Agreement to Congress this week. It’s on a fast track, which ordinarily would force Congress to take an up-or-down vote on the pact within 90 days. That may not happen, however. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Wednesday that the House will change its rules to avoid having to vote on the trade agreement this year.

Washington state stands to gain from the agreement. However, this election year will not be an optimal time to force a vote on a new trade agreement. Anti-trade has turned out to be a major theme in campaigns of both Democratic presidential candidates and many congressional Democrats.

But the trade agreement was signed more than a year ago. Colombia cannot be kept waiting indefinitely. It worked long and hard to make the progress in human rights that Democratic opponents of the trade pact demanded — improving the country’s labor record, protecting labor organizers, demobilizing paramilitary groups. Now is the time to reward that progress and strengthen ties with this nation’s staunchest ally in South America.

Opponents of this trade agreement may see a political dividend in rejecting the pact, but there is no economic benefit associated with that action. Indeed, the primary beneficiary of the deal is the United States. Colombia already sells nearly all of its products to the United States duty-free. U.S. products sold to Colombia are subject to tariffs, which run up to 35 percent for non-agricultural goods and higher for agricultural exports. The trade agreement would eliminate more than 80 percent of those tariffs.

Washington state would be among the largest beneficiaries of this trade agreement. Products in agricultural, aircraft, medical and scientific equipment — all important sectors in this state’s export economy — would be sold to Colombia duty-free under the pact. Agricultural exports would get a big boost. U.S. Rep. Doc Hastings, R-Wash., noted in a press release this week that, “Colombia is the second largest market for U.S. farm products in Latin America, and immediately upon enactment of the agreement, Colombian tariffs will disappear on U.S. apples, pears, cherries and beef, just to name a few examples.”

There is no practical benefit in opposing this trade agreement — certainly none for this state. International trade largely determines this state’s economic well-being. Washington exports more on a per capita basis than any other state in the nation, according to the governor’ Global Competitiveness Council. One in three jobs in the state is supported by trade. If Washington were a country, it would rank as the 35th largest exporter in the world.

What Democratic opponents of the trade agreement seem to view as a political opportunity would translate to lost opportunity for Washington and the nation, should the trade agreement be shelved. Cooler heads in Congress shouldn’t let that happen. This trade agreement is worthy of ratification.